Wontanara is a nonprofit organization focused on the performing arts of Africa. The organization, named after a Guinean phrase that means “we are one,” aims to teach about African arts and culture, host masters of their craft and, as its mission statement says, “foster individual and group creativity among people of all ages and backgrounds.”

Each September, Wontanara hosts a traditional dance and drum festival. Dancers and percussionists rehearse dances and drumming songs twice a month during the summer. During the process, members grow to know each other alongside their routines. (Check on Columbia Missourian)